Opal Logan <I>Van Zandt-Giberson</I> Kunz

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Opal Logan Van Zandt-Giberson Kunz

Birth
Missouri, USA
Death
15 May 1967 (aged 70)
Auburn, Placer County, California, USA
Burial
Auburn, Placer County, California, USA Add to Map
Plot
127B-3
Memorial ID
View Source
Mothers maiden name: Gribble
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was a character. Opal Kunz received her pilot's license June 7, 1929. She had adventurous, and hazardous, aviation experiences. A headline a couple of weeks later from the June 24th New York Times announced "Mrs. Kunz In Crash Piloting Her Plane." In Morris Plains, NJ, with an ex-sailor/mechanic, Verne E. Moon, on board she crashed C-9827, her recently purchased cream and gold Travel Air biplane. Both were uninjured. Some newspapers implied an illicit liaison (Daily News June 24, 1929 headline: "Gem Man's Wife Crashes On Night Flight With Gob").

Opal Logan Giberson married Dr. George Frederick Kunz on May 15, 1923. He was a Tiffany vice-president and gem expert, and a man over twice her age. Their marriage was annulled November 21, 1929, but they lived together amicably until his death on July 1, 1932. At that time she inherited over $1 million. She was a charter member of the Ninety-Nines, and Tiffany was commissioned, via Opal's husband, to design and produce the handsome "99" logo pin worn by all members of the Ninety-Nines to this day.
http://www.dmairfield.org/people/kunz_op/index.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Undeterred, she bought another Travel Air to replace the one she wrecked, and promptly had it christened "Betsy Ross" by Mrs. Thomas Edison at a social event at the Newark Metropolitan Airport. On April 10,1930 (New York Times: "Mrs. Opal Kunz Unhurt In Airplane Crash") she departed Philadelphia on her way to Allentown, PA. She landed by mistake at the Bethlehem airport, and while departing there her engine failed. She made an emergency landing, striking rough ground at the edge of the field. Her airplane nosed over, damaging one wing and the propeller. She was trapped in the cockpit, but calmly gave instructions to airport employees to right the aircraft and release her. She was uninjured.




Aug 13th-20th 1929, Opal entered the first Women's Air Derby, starting in Santa Monica, CA and ending in Cleveland, Ohio. Among the 20 participants was Ameila Earhart. 14 completed the course one of them being Opal Kunz.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The final standings for the heavies were Louise Thaden, Gladys O'Donnell, Amelia Earhart, Blanche Noyes, Ruth Elder, Neva Paris, Mary Haizlip, Opal Kunz, Mary von Mach, and Vera Dawn Walker. The light plane finishers were Phoebe Omlie, Edith Foltz, Chubbie Keith-Miller, and Thea Rashe. The remaining field was Pancho Barnes (crashed), Claire Fahy (broken wires), Ruth Nichols (wrecked), Margaret Perry (typhoid), Bobbi Trout (untimed), and Marvel Crosson (died). By Bonnie L. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sat, December 18, 2010 8:33:06 AM

Below is your information on Opal Kunz. I have a different birthdate (1894) for her from the Social Security administration. Can you take a photograph of her headstone and post it on "find-a-grave"?
For your information, Opal Kunz was married to Dr. George Frederick Kunz, a noted 19th century mineralogist and writer, and Vice President of Tiffany & Co. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frederick_Kunz. The semi-precious stone, "kunzite," is named for him. He died in 1932, and she never re-married.
Opal was an early aviatrix, and created a women's flying corps called the "Betsy Ross Corps," to be used in cases of emergences such as floods or war. It was before it's time, and faded away just a few years before WWII, when other women's flying groups took the main stage. During WWII, Opal taught flying to Navy cadets in Rhode Island, and became a engineer with the Aero-Jet corporation. After the Russians put their first astronaut into space, Opal wrote President Kennedy and volunteered to go into space for the US. Originally thought of as a crank, they found out that she was an early aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer, so sent her a polite reply. One of her qualifications, she mentioned, was that if anything happened to her, only her two pet dogs would feel her loss. A few years later, she also died.
Thanks for all of your efforts. This is an unknown and too-completely forgotten woman, with no kith or kin remaining. I am currently writing a biography of her husband.

Lee Hadden
108 Cardinal Glen
Sterling, VA 20164
[email protected]
__________________________________

Wikipedia-----

She died alone at her home in Auburn, California on May 15, 1967, and is buried in the municipal cemetery, called the "Old Auburn Cemetery", in plot: 127B-3.

Although her Social Security record indicates she was born in 1894, her burial record indicates she was born in 1896. Her cemetery burial card also indicates her mother's maiden name was "Gribble".

"Dr. George F. Kunz and Opal L. Giberson Married." New York Times. Page 19:1. May 16, 1923.
"Dr. G. F. Kunz Weds Miss Opal Giberson: Ceremony in Tarrytown Church Where Washington Irving Worshipped: They Sail for Bermuda." New York Times. May 16, 1923. Opal Logan Giberson, daughter of the late Mr. And Mrs. Edward F. Giberson of St. Louis, were married at Christ Episcopal Church in Tarrytown where the bride was baptized and prepared for confirmation. "Mrs. Kunz, who is about 30, is of old Dutch and Kentucky ancestry. She is a graduate of Dana Hall, Wellesley, and with which she was officially connected for some time. She did relief work during the war and engaged in Liberty Loan campaigns and work connected with visaing passports. She has been much interested in politics, social economics and music, and made her home at the Three Arts Club for a considerable period."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Opal Kunz, also known as Opal van Zandt Giberson Kunz (1894–1967), was the wife of Dr. George Frederick Kunz, and she was a noted early aviator, the first president of the "Ninety-Nines", a women pilots' organization, that was formed in her living room, and an early feminist.

As an aviatrix, Opal Kunz spent a great deal of time and money on her flying pursuits. "I learned to fly as a sportswoman in the interest of National Defense [sic]. My planes were always called ‘Betsy Ross.' My husband was Gem Expert and vice-president of Tiffany & Co. N.Y. C. Never flew for any company as my husband was able and wanted to pay my way... I have a huge scrapbook containing clippings from all the papers in the country... All the publicity was given free by the press- No publicity agents were employed. I was the first woman to race with men in open competition. It was an American Legion Air Meet in Philadelphia. I had the fastest plane and won the race..."[1] In another letter, she stated: "I was the first woman to race with men in open competition at Philadelphia American Legion Benefit Air Meet, on April 7, 1930. Won first prize."[2]

Mothers maiden name: Gribble
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was a character. Opal Kunz received her pilot's license June 7, 1929. She had adventurous, and hazardous, aviation experiences. A headline a couple of weeks later from the June 24th New York Times announced "Mrs. Kunz In Crash Piloting Her Plane." In Morris Plains, NJ, with an ex-sailor/mechanic, Verne E. Moon, on board she crashed C-9827, her recently purchased cream and gold Travel Air biplane. Both were uninjured. Some newspapers implied an illicit liaison (Daily News June 24, 1929 headline: "Gem Man's Wife Crashes On Night Flight With Gob").

Opal Logan Giberson married Dr. George Frederick Kunz on May 15, 1923. He was a Tiffany vice-president and gem expert, and a man over twice her age. Their marriage was annulled November 21, 1929, but they lived together amicably until his death on July 1, 1932. At that time she inherited over $1 million. She was a charter member of the Ninety-Nines, and Tiffany was commissioned, via Opal's husband, to design and produce the handsome "99" logo pin worn by all members of the Ninety-Nines to this day.
http://www.dmairfield.org/people/kunz_op/index.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Undeterred, she bought another Travel Air to replace the one she wrecked, and promptly had it christened "Betsy Ross" by Mrs. Thomas Edison at a social event at the Newark Metropolitan Airport. On April 10,1930 (New York Times: "Mrs. Opal Kunz Unhurt In Airplane Crash") she departed Philadelphia on her way to Allentown, PA. She landed by mistake at the Bethlehem airport, and while departing there her engine failed. She made an emergency landing, striking rough ground at the edge of the field. Her airplane nosed over, damaging one wing and the propeller. She was trapped in the cockpit, but calmly gave instructions to airport employees to right the aircraft and release her. She was uninjured.




Aug 13th-20th 1929, Opal entered the first Women's Air Derby, starting in Santa Monica, CA and ending in Cleveland, Ohio. Among the 20 participants was Ameila Earhart. 14 completed the course one of them being Opal Kunz.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The final standings for the heavies were Louise Thaden, Gladys O'Donnell, Amelia Earhart, Blanche Noyes, Ruth Elder, Neva Paris, Mary Haizlip, Opal Kunz, Mary von Mach, and Vera Dawn Walker. The light plane finishers were Phoebe Omlie, Edith Foltz, Chubbie Keith-Miller, and Thea Rashe. The remaining field was Pancho Barnes (crashed), Claire Fahy (broken wires), Ruth Nichols (wrecked), Margaret Perry (typhoid), Bobbi Trout (untimed), and Marvel Crosson (died). By Bonnie L. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sat, December 18, 2010 8:33:06 AM

Below is your information on Opal Kunz. I have a different birthdate (1894) for her from the Social Security administration. Can you take a photograph of her headstone and post it on "find-a-grave"?
For your information, Opal Kunz was married to Dr. George Frederick Kunz, a noted 19th century mineralogist and writer, and Vice President of Tiffany & Co. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frederick_Kunz. The semi-precious stone, "kunzite," is named for him. He died in 1932, and she never re-married.
Opal was an early aviatrix, and created a women's flying corps called the "Betsy Ross Corps," to be used in cases of emergences such as floods or war. It was before it's time, and faded away just a few years before WWII, when other women's flying groups took the main stage. During WWII, Opal taught flying to Navy cadets in Rhode Island, and became a engineer with the Aero-Jet corporation. After the Russians put their first astronaut into space, Opal wrote President Kennedy and volunteered to go into space for the US. Originally thought of as a crank, they found out that she was an early aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer, so sent her a polite reply. One of her qualifications, she mentioned, was that if anything happened to her, only her two pet dogs would feel her loss. A few years later, she also died.
Thanks for all of your efforts. This is an unknown and too-completely forgotten woman, with no kith or kin remaining. I am currently writing a biography of her husband.

Lee Hadden
108 Cardinal Glen
Sterling, VA 20164
[email protected]
__________________________________

Wikipedia-----

She died alone at her home in Auburn, California on May 15, 1967, and is buried in the municipal cemetery, called the "Old Auburn Cemetery", in plot: 127B-3.

Although her Social Security record indicates she was born in 1894, her burial record indicates she was born in 1896. Her cemetery burial card also indicates her mother's maiden name was "Gribble".

"Dr. George F. Kunz and Opal L. Giberson Married." New York Times. Page 19:1. May 16, 1923.
"Dr. G. F. Kunz Weds Miss Opal Giberson: Ceremony in Tarrytown Church Where Washington Irving Worshipped: They Sail for Bermuda." New York Times. May 16, 1923. Opal Logan Giberson, daughter of the late Mr. And Mrs. Edward F. Giberson of St. Louis, were married at Christ Episcopal Church in Tarrytown where the bride was baptized and prepared for confirmation. "Mrs. Kunz, who is about 30, is of old Dutch and Kentucky ancestry. She is a graduate of Dana Hall, Wellesley, and with which she was officially connected for some time. She did relief work during the war and engaged in Liberty Loan campaigns and work connected with visaing passports. She has been much interested in politics, social economics and music, and made her home at the Three Arts Club for a considerable period."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Opal Kunz, also known as Opal van Zandt Giberson Kunz (1894–1967), was the wife of Dr. George Frederick Kunz, and she was a noted early aviator, the first president of the "Ninety-Nines", a women pilots' organization, that was formed in her living room, and an early feminist.

As an aviatrix, Opal Kunz spent a great deal of time and money on her flying pursuits. "I learned to fly as a sportswoman in the interest of National Defense [sic]. My planes were always called ‘Betsy Ross.' My husband was Gem Expert and vice-president of Tiffany & Co. N.Y. C. Never flew for any company as my husband was able and wanted to pay my way... I have a huge scrapbook containing clippings from all the papers in the country... All the publicity was given free by the press- No publicity agents were employed. I was the first woman to race with men in open competition. It was an American Legion Air Meet in Philadelphia. I had the fastest plane and won the race..."[1] In another letter, she stated: "I was the first woman to race with men in open competition at Philadelphia American Legion Benefit Air Meet, on April 7, 1930. Won first prize."[2]



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